The Mighty Oak

When we moved to Ankeny six years ago we had a new yard with nothing in it. The sod had been neglected so was in terrible shape but that's another story. We went tree shopping and found a nice young oak tree ready to transplant. It has grown slowly, as oaks do, in the front lawn. It now has a healthy growth of leaves that even make a little shade.

The leaves of the oak tree hold strong to the branches throughout the winter snows and rains. While all other trees are stripped bare of their leaves, the oak stands strong, keeping its leaves. The fiercest wind doesn't loosen the leaves until spring. So they hang boldly through whatever the winter brings.

"The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan," (Isaiah 2:12-13 NIV). 

Bashan was the northernmost region of Palestine, east of the Jordan River. It was known as a very fertile area, great for the mighty oak trees.

I'm anxious to see when the oak leaves fall this spring. They probably become loose when the new leaves begin to sprout. We will need to rake in the spring or our neighbor will be out picking up each leaf that falls or blows onto his lawn.

Can you find any oak trees in your neighborhood? God makes all things different in their own way, even oak trees.